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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

We’ve Got Legs

Ta Da!!!! Landing Gear!!!!

Cutting that access panel was the best idea I’ve had since tossing the three foot garter snake into the outhouse while Aunt Edith was occupying it. That, by the way, gave a whole new meaning to the hit song, “A Little Dance” (without any pants, I might add). It was well worth the punishment that I endured on the backside of that little prank - it’s hard to punish a kid when you’re rolling with laughter. Fortunately for me, the thought that I should be the one to clean up the mess in the outhouse never occurred to anybody. Poor Aunt Edith, I’m not sure she ever fully recovered from that day and think she may still have flashbacks whenever the urge arises to go to the bathroom. (Note here: I don’t really have an Aunt Edith, the name has been changed to protect the victim)

Anyhow, back to the task at hand. It took me less than two hours to pull out the propane tanks, cut the access panel, remove the old leg, grind a 1/16th inch off each bracket, install the new leg, and clean everything up. Just gotta love it when a plan comes together. You’da “thunk” that I “knowed” what I was doing.

Here’s some pictures that I snapped along the way. Put your cursor over them for explanations.

Now all that is left to do to get the legs operational is wire them up. That’ll be a piece of cake. I’ve looked at the wiring diagram and know how the old legs were wired so it’s just a matter of following the “destructions”, but I just might wait until Mikee gets here (it’s been months since he’s had an opportunity to work on one of my projects). After the wiring is completed I’ll need to repair the propane housing. I have a piano hinge so I think I’m going to fabricate a door out of some sheet metal so I can have access to the grease fitting on the new leg. That should be a simple task (keep your eye on the word “should”).

We’re not sure what today has in store. It’s predicted to be a rainy day, just a few showers here and there throughout the day, so it will be mostly indoor activities for us. If she feels up to it, there’s a couple of things taking place at the clubhouse that Judy J. would like to be involved with. I will watch Susan Scheewe and Bob Ross on PBS and try out my new paints – maybe I could recreate the snake in the outhouse scene on canvas. Nah, better not. Anyhow, we’ll just have to see what unfolds as the day progresses.